BAGUIO CITY

SUMMER CAPITAL OF THE PHILIPPINES

The name Baguio conjures, for both the international and domestic traveler, a highland retreat in the Grand Cordillera in Northern Luzon, with pone trees, crisp cold breezes and low verdant knolls and hillocks. Through the numerous decades Baguio has morphed from what was once a grassy marshland into one of the cleanest and greenest, most highly urbanized cities in the country. It has made its mark as a premiere tourist destination in the Northern part of the Philippines with its cool climate, foggy hills, panoramic views and lovely flowers. Being the ideal convergence zone of neighboring highland places, Baguio is the melting pot of different peoples and cultures and has boosted its ability to provide a center for education for its neighbors. Its rich culture and countless resources have lured numerous investments and business opportunities to the city.

Local Attractions

Looking for a place where you could leave all your cares behind? Baguio City, the Summer Capital of the Philippines promises a haven to anyone who seeks its comfort. With its numerous tourist attractions and panoramic scenes and invigorating pine scented fresh air it seeks to provide a respite to any traveler, a hideaway to the romantics and respite to the weariest soul. Capture this one of a kind feeling as you browse through the vivid and vibrant scenes of the Summer Capital of the Philippines.

Man Made Attractions

Botanical Gardens

It is also called the Igorot village, which used to feature native huts typical of Cordillera architecture. This village captures the ethnic spirit and cultural legacy of the Igorot dweller. The garden is also a site of cultural presentations and other tribal meetings.

Burnham Park

It is the oldest of all Baguio parks. One can unwind from the tension of the day-to-day bustle by biking, skating or simply reflecting on the day's experiences amid a soothing backdrop of colorful flowers. It is wooded and is great place to have picnics and concerts. There are tennis and basketball courts, a football field, athletic oval and an orchidarium.It is also called the Igorot village, which used to feature native huts typical of Cordillera architecture. This village captures the ethnic spirit and cultural legacy of the Igorot dweller. The garden is also a site of cultural presentations and other tribal meetings.

Camp John hay .

It is still the extraordinary beautiful base, which the American forces turned over last July 1, 1991 to the Philippine government. It is now open to the public. Its excellent cottages, golf courses, bowling lanes, dining places and natural ambience are all preserved and maintained.

Mines View Park.

Appropriately named for its breathtaking views of mountain ranges and Baguio's "mineral bowl" where gold, silver and other ores were once quarried. There are now numerous souvenir shops around the park offering such items as woodcarvings, woven cloth, ashtrays, shell products and other curio items.

Wright Park

It is sometimes mistakenly called "Ride Park" by some who identify this pine tree park reserve for its kiddy horse rides. A long stairway leads to the "Pool of the Pines", a 100 meter long pool of water lined on both sides by the famous Baguio towering pine.

HOW TO GET THERE

Air transport

Loakan Airport in Baguio is about 20 minutes by car south of the city. Because of the length of the runway, commercial jet aircraft are not able to use the airport. The airport is only used by propeller-driven aircraft. Currently, Asian Spirit flies Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday to and from Manila, a 50 minute flight. Flights to Baguio are scheduled only in the morning, as visibility approaches zero in afternoons when fog starts to form.

Land transport

It takes an average of six hours to travel the 250 km distance between Manila and Baguio by way of Kennon Road. It is about fifteen minutes longer through the Marcos Highway and could take three more hours when going through Naguilian Road, which is the usual route for travellers from the North. Kennon Road is occasionally blocked by landslides during the rainy season and the same problem occurs on the other two access roads. The route to Baguio through Kennon Road is as scenic as it is dangerous. There is another access to Baguio from Aritao in the province of Nueva Vizcaya but this is less traveled, the road is not well maintained, and public transportation through this route is not as regular. Another road, Halsema Road (also known as "Mountain Trail") leads north through the mountainous portion of the Cordillera AutonomouS Region. It starts at the northern border of Baguio, in the Municipality of La Trinidad (Trinidad Valley).

There are several bus lines linking Baguio with Manila and Central Luzon, and provinces such as Pangasinan, La Union, and those in the Ilocos region. Most transportation companies also offer express and air-conditioned buses at a much higher fare, though some minibuses offer cheaper fares.

Bus services that ply Baguio include Philippine RabbiT, Dangwa Tranco, Dagupan Bus, Victory Liner, Partas, Genesis, Saulog Transit, Five Star, Viron Transit, and Greenland, as well as minibuses that come from other provinces.

PALAWAN

This long sliver of an island province deserves its exotic 'last frontier' aura. Stretching from the MIndoro Strait down to the tip of BOrneo, It's magnificient submerged mountain range range of unrivalled ruggedness. You could spend a lifetime discovering new island, beaches, reefs, particularly in the Northern regions around El Nido and Busuanga Island. As other parts of the Philippines are done to death, the danger is that Palawan will also start to suffer from too much attention. But a passionate local environmental movement and strong eco-tourism ethics may help Palawan buck the trend and get as much of tourism as tourism gets out of it.

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City and it is the largest province in terms of land area. The islands of Palawan stretches from Mindoro to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea in the northwest and Sulu Sea in the southeast. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island

PALAWAN IS FAMOUS FOR....

THE PEARL OF ALLAH WAS FOUND HERE

The Pearl of Lao Tzu (also referred to as Pearl of Lao Tze and Pearl of Allah) is the largest known pearl in the world, measuring 9.45 inches in diameter and weighing 6.4 kilograms (14.1 lb) or 127,574 pearl grains or 31,893.50 carats.[2] The Service mark on the phrase "Pearl of Allah" has been registered July 18, 2006 by Gina Diane Barbish and Victor M. Barbish for charitable fundraising.

The 9.45-inch Pearl of Allah is the world's largest. It was found by a diver off the Philippine island of Palawan in 1934 and is stored in a museum in that country.

Calauit Game Preserve & Wildlife Sanctuary

It is a unique game reserve and wildlife sanctuary of exotic African animals and endangered endemic animals of Palawan.
Established on August 31, 1976 by virtue of Presidential Decree No.1578, this was initiated in response to the appeal of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to help save African wildlife when former President Ferdinand Marcos attended the 3rd world Conference in Kenya. By virtue of RA 7611 (SEP), administrative jurisdiction of DENR was given to the local government of Palawan, effective December 31, 1993. Management of the area is the responsibility of the PCSDO (Palawan Council of Sustainable Development Office). It is located in

Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan.

Coron Reefs, Coron Bay, Busuanga
Seven enchanting lakes surrounded by craggy limestone cliffs attract hundreds of nature lovers to Coron Reefs in Northern Palawan, near the town of Coron.

Busuanga Island, whose main town is Coron, is the jump-off point for numerous dive operators. The principal dive sites are 12 World War II Japanese shipwrecks sunk on September 24, 1944 by US Navy action. They range in depth from the surface to 40M. This large variety offers exciting wreck exploration for enthusiasts, from novice divers and snorkelers and recreational divers to experienced TEC divers. Dive operators offer PADI dive courses ranging from Discover Scuba to Assistant Instructor, Technical and Enriched Air Diving, as well as other specialty courses. Dive operators offer day diving, snorkeling trips, and overnight dive safaris. Live-aboard and charter boats also offer diving in the area.

El Nido Marine Reserve Park

UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park 1999
This park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with an underground river. One of the river's distinguishing features is that it emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full 'mountain-to-sea' ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia. -UNESCO

Tubbataha Reef Marine Park 1993
The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 332 km², including the North and South Reefs. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100 m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands.

HOW TO GET THERE

AIR

Palawan's main airport is in Puerto Princesa, but pLawan also has a whole bunch of small airports in the north, with regular flights to/from Manila and Puerto Princesa. On Busuanga Island, there's an airport in the southern town of Coron and the YKR airport to the north near San Jose. On the Palawan mainland, there's the Lio Airport north of EL Nido, and another airport at Sandoval, about 20km south-east of El Nido,

BOAT

Shipping Lines serving Palawan include Negros Navigation and WG&A. Sulpicio Lines is chiefly a cargo operator in Puerto Princesa, although you might be able to arrange a berth to/from Luzon or elsewhere with them.

see more pictures here.

BOHOL

BOHOL

Bohol is the tenth-largest island of the Philippines, located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. Bohol's closest neighbors are Cebu and Leyte.
Bohol is not as internationally famous as nearby Boracay, but is well-known locally as a paradise for divers and snorkelers. In addition to white sand beaches, Bohol is also home to the intriguing Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, and Balicasag Island fish sanctuary.
Dolphin watching and whale watching tours are popular with both residents and visiting tourists. The best season is from March to June, but dolphins can be seen year-round.
The island of Panglao, a thirty-minute drive from Tagbilaran City, is home to some of the finest beaches in the country. Resorts dot the island, with most clustered along Alona beach

CITIES AND TOWN

Tagbilaran- Capital of Bohol and the main point of entry to the island, including nearby Panglao Island.
Loboc - Rivertown with historic church and idyllic falls.
Carmen - Launching point for tours of the Chocolate Hills
Corella - The best place in the Philippines to spot a tarsier in the wild.
Baclayon - Port with tours to Pamilcan Island
Bilar - Gateway to Bilar & Rajah Sikatuna National Park.

HOW TO GET THERE

One can travel to Bohol by air, land, and sea.

By plane

At the moment, Bohol's city airport in Tagbilaran services daily Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airline flights from Manila.
is undergoing renovation to accommodate the B-737s of Philippine Airlines. Ramp area improvement and the construction of a modernized airport building will soon ensure bigger aircraft will allow direct flight into Bohol.
Most guests to Bohol enter the island either by land or sea via its island neighbor, Cebu.

By boat

The Tagbilaran City Tourist Pier handles more than 4,000 travelers on a daily basis. Nine daily ship calls from Cebu are processed efficiently, with other ships from Manila, Cagayan de OrO City, Dumaguete, Dipolog, Iligan City

, Larena, Plaridel and Ozamiz City also welcomed on a regular basis. Another four port terminals cater specifically to Cebu and northern Mindanao routes. Additional berthing space for fastcraft ferries is currently under construction.

see more pictures here

GINGOOG CITY

CITY OF GOOD LUCK

Gingoog is a Manobo word for good luck. The word implies good fortune, thus Gingoog means the city of Good Luck. Gingoog originated from a thriving native settlement of Manobo tribe in the area, known today as Barangay Daan-Lungsod. The influx of migrants from neighboring places contributed to the city’s growth, giving rise to the necessity of expansion.

It was established as a Spanish Pueblo in 1868 and then a municipality in 1903 and subsequently a Chartered City on June 18, 1960. This agricultural city situated along the northern coast of Mindanao, is 122 kms. east of Cagayan de Oro City and 74 kms. west of Butuan City. To the north is Gingoog Bay and south is Bukidnon, Claveria and Medina is in vicinity to the west and Magsaysay to the east. The city has no distinct dry season. The land is generally flat with sloping hills surrounded by mountain ranges extending from Mount Balatukan to Mt. Lumot in the west and eastward to Agusan del Norte which protect the city from northeast monsoon and typhoon. A first class component city of Misamis Oriental.

HOW TO GET THERE

Gingoog City can be raeched via Cagayan de Oro and Butuan Cities which have daily flights from Manila and vice versa. THe CDO-Gingoog-Butuan-Davao route is plied regularly by public vehicles such as Bagong Lipunan Transit, Rural Transit, LCI and Philtranco. PUJs and minibuses serve the neighboring towns and remote barangays of Gingoog. Motorelas, trisikads, and motorized skads ply the poblacion areas. THe Intergrated bUs Terminal is build within the Agora area to facilitate commuter's convenience.

More pictures of Gingoog City here

COMPOSTELA VALLEY PROVINCE

THE ECO-ADVENTURE TOURISM

Compostela Valley is blessed with nature's magnificent work of art. It brims with natural attractions like beaches, waterfalls, forests, mountain ranges, caves, lakes, rivers, hot and cold springs.. all found in the province. The province is also proud of its people and cultural heritage... a varied blend of ethnicity and dominance. To be in Compostela Valley is to experience a blend of sight and sound that defines a place and a people, pulsing with life yet reserved in spirit. The Provincial Government believes in marketing tourism responsibly. ComValenos want you to explore and revel on nature's finest without destroying the environment. Our choices within the province are almost limitless. We believe that we have something that caters to everyone's enthusiasm... all waiting for the adventurous spirit in you. Thus, we see our province as an Eco-Adventure Tourism Destination.

How to Get there

The province has several privately owned airstrips which can be used for air transport. If one will come from Manila (national gateway), one passes through Davao International Airport then travel by land to the north passing by Dvao del Norte's capital, Tagum City. The three coastal towns of the province are on the way to Davao Oriental while the heart of the province where the valley towns and capital town are located towards the north from Tagum City going to Agusan Province.

MISAMIS ORIENTAL

ECO-TOURISM AT ITS BEST

In Region X, the province of Misamis Oriental is among the premier areas for development. It has become the regional center for government and political administration, industrial activity and trade transactions. The western part of the province has been identified as a special development corridor, directed towards the Establishment of industrial hubs in Cagayan de Oro City now known as Cagayan-Iligan Corridor.

For tourism, Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro ranks first in terms of tourist arrivals and visits to various scenic spots. The lure to renowned dive sites, beach resorts, falls and spring proves irresistible. The caves that dot the hills and mountains, the numerous eco-tourism destinations and man-made attractions are able to balance the natural beauty of the environment with the necessary concessions of technological and economic advancement. Industrial tours, telecommunication, conventions coupled with modern accommodation facilities and transportation systems are among the best amenities.

HOW TO GET THERE

By Sea
To Cagayan de Oro City from Manila: Boat trips via WG&A, Super Ferry, Negros Navigation, or Sulpicio Lines; 28-30 hours travel time.To Cagayan de Oro City from Cebu: An overnight trip via Trans Asia Shipping Lines, WG&A, or Sulpicio Lines.

By Air
From Manila: Philippine Airlines (3 flights daily); Cebu Pacific Air (3 flights daily); or Air Philippines (daily).From Cebu: Via Asian Spirits (daily).

Several bus companies ply their routes to Cagayan de Oro from all points in Mindanao: Rural Transit of Mindanao; Bachelor Express; Super 5; LCI; and Bagong Lipunan.Public utility jeepneys, multi-cabs, taxis, and rent-a-car services are likewise available.

More pictures of Misamis Oriental here

DONSOL SORSOGON

WHALE SHARK CAPITAL

Rhincodon typus

Best animal encounter in Asia

Donsol is a popular tourist destination for the whale sharks that can be seen in the bordering seas. It is nicknamed the "Whale Shark Capital of the World", with the largest number of recorded sightings of whale sharks anywhere in the world. Swimming with whale sharks was featured as the "Best Animal Encounter in Asia" by Time Magazine in 2004. Whale sharks can be seen all-year round except during typhoons, with presence peaking between February and May.

CODE OF CONDUCT

To ensure that you will have a safe, enjoyable experience and to prevent he animals from being disturbed, the following code of conduct are strictly implemented when interacting with the whale sharks.

-Do not touch or ride the Whale Shark.
-Do not restrict the movement of the Whale Shark, or impede its natural path.
-Maintain a distance of 3 meters from the head or body of the Whale Shark, and 4 meters from its tail.
-Do not use flash photography.
-Do not use SCUBA gear, scooters, jet skis or any other motorized underwater propulsion machines.
-A maximum of six (6) swimmers per Whale Shark is allowed, and only one (1) boat per Whale Shark.

• WHALE SHARKS ARE WILD ANIMALS
• RESPECT SAFETY REGULATIONS

HOW TO GET THERE

There are two ways to get to Donsol, Sorsogon. One is via Legazpi City in Albay, an hour-long flight or a ten-hour bus ride from Manila. From Legazpi, another hour by hired land vehicle takes one to Donsol. THe other approach to Donsol is via Sorsogon,Sorsogon-about twelve hours by bus from Manila. Transfer by jeep or taxi for another hour to get to Donsol. Once within Donsol town proper, pump boats for hire may be arranged for your excursion to interact the whale sharks.

***ENJOY YOUR STAY IN DONSOL, SORSOGON.***